It’s a Russian thing…
by JA Baker
Summary: Has anyone ever wondered why Susan Ivanova is so cranky all the time?
1. All alone in the night

**It's a Russian thing…  
Part 1: All alone in the night**

Susan Ivanova stood in the middle of CIC and took a deep breath, trying to let the tension that was building up inside her drift away. She could probably get away with yelling at Lt. Corwin again, just on general principle, but the last thing she needed was to put her hand through a computer screen again.

The last time that had happened, it have taken two transfers in as many weeks to get clear of the gossip.

Finally, after what felt like an eon, her link chimed, signalling the end of her shift. Mumbling something incomprehensible under her breath, she headed for her quarters, intent on spending the next hour or so under the shower.

"Hey, Susan, wait up!" Garibaldi called out as the transport tube doors started to close. "I need to talk to you."

"What ever it is, Mr. Garibaldi, I'm not in the mood."

"I just wanted to give you the heads up in case any of the ambassadors ask you about it. We've had a couple of weird killings in Down Below the last few days. Stephen says it looks like the killer or killers drained every last drop of the victim's blood out through two holes in the neck. Personally, I think he's been watching a little too much late-night TV, but…"

"Did you say the blood had been drained from the neck?" Susan looked round, the fatigue she had been feeling only moments before disappearing in an instant.

"Yeah." The security chief nodded. "Why, what's up?"

"Nothing, nothing." Susan shook her head. "Just reminded me of a dream I had the other night, that's all."

"Yeah, well, didn't mean to frighten you." Garibaldi smiled as the lift doors opened and he stepped out. "See you later."

"Yeah, sure…" Susan nodded, her mind already working overtime.

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The door to Susan's quarters opened with a gentle hiss, but she automatically tensed when she smelled freshly brewed coffee. Real coffee, from her secret stash, not the freeze-dried instant kind the commissary sold.

She dropped into a fighting stance, her hand reaching for her PPG.

"You really should change your access code." A voice called from the darkness of the small living room. "Anyone could just come in and…"

"You bastard!" Susan let out the breath she was holding. "I should never have invited you in in the first place."

"Yeah, well you did." There was the sound of a coffee cup being put down and something moved in the darkness. "I take it you've heard."

"That we have a rogue on our hands? Yeah, just now."

"So, what are you going to do about it?"

"Why should I do anything? You're here. You deal with it."

"That's not my job. I'm a Watcher, I watch and record. It's the Slayer who does the slaying."

"Don't start that again." Susan hit the lights. "You're the vampire with the soul."

"Watch it, luv!" Spike shielded his eyes. "And you know you can only get away with that because of who you are."

"Yes. A direct descendant of Willow Rosenberg. I know my own genealogy, thank you."

"Then you know how much of a big thing it is for you to try and shirk your duty."

"OK! OK! OK!" Susan raised her hands in surrender. "I'll go kill the nasty vampire, but can I at least have a shower first?"

"I think that can be arranged." Spike nodded, heading for the door. "I'll go get a head start on tracking them."

"Good." Susan headed for her bathroom. "And stop drinking my goddamn coffee!"

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A short shower later, Susan was at least feeling human again. She walked back into her bedroom, ignoring her uniform laying on the floor and opened her wardrobe. She selected a pair of black leggings and a blouse that gave her the maximum range of movement.

A locked box in the bottom of the wardrobe yielded a spring-loaded punch dagger that she attached to her right wrist. A small throwing knife was quickly concealed in her left boot, while several stakes found themselves attached to her belt.

Grabbing a long, black coat from a hook on the inside of the wardrobe door, Susan looked at herself in the mirror. The weapons were hidden perfectly by the flowing outline of the coat but were easy to get to in an emergency.

She grabbed her PPG and pocketed it almost as an after thought. Down Below had its share of human devils, as well as the odd demon masquerading as an alien. Susan pulled her still slightly damp hair into a ponytail as she left, already psyching herself up for the hunt.

"Susan!" A familiar voice called out, and the Commander looked round to see Marcus Cole heading down the corridor towards her. "I was hoping to talk to you…"

"Not now, Marcus. I'm busy." Susan turned walk away, but the Ranger reached out and grabbed her by the shoulder.

Susan reacted instinctively, the years of training taking over.

Grabbing Marcus by the wrist, she flipped him over her shoulder and onto the floor. Twisting his hand sharply, she forced him to roll onto his stomach rather than risk breaking the joint. A heavy boot came to rest on the back of the startled Ranger's neck, almost choking him while surprisingly strong hands twisted his arm up behind his back.

"When I say I'm busy, I mean I'm busy." Susan hissed into Marcus' ear. "Next time I won't go so easy on you."

"OK," the shocked Englishman gasped.

Susan released her grip; quickly making sure no one else had seen the display. Thankfully, the corridor was empty, and she was sure that Marcus would keep very quiet about what happened.

It was then she noticed that the punch dagger had shot out and was imbedded in the deck.

"Aren't those illegal?" Marcus looked at the weapon. "I'm sure Mr Garibaldi said he'd personally space anyone who was caught with one on-station…"

"It doesn't exist." Susan pushed the blade back in until it clicked. "You never saw it. This conversation never took place."

"I'm just a little worried. What have you gotten yourself into that you need something like that?"

"You Rangers are always going on about walking in the dark places?"

"Yes."

"I've seen darker." Susan spun on her heels and marched off down the corridor.

"She knows her destiny." A soft voice came from behind the Ranger.

"Good God!" Marcus jumped. "I wish you wouldn't do that. You're going to give me a heart attack one of theses days."

"I do what I must, as must she." Ambassador Kosh stood in the middle of the corridor. "She walks the path of death. A path she must walk alone."

"Do Vorlons always talk in riddles?"

"Yes."

"Thought so." Marcus turned and took off down the corridor after Susan.

"And so it begins…" Kosh stood in silent contemplation for a moment, before he turned and headed back to his own quarters.

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Down Below was even more deserted than normal. No one had tried to pick her pocket yet, and that was something that instantly made Susan suspicious. Most of the local inhabitants seemed to be in hiding. Their instincts telling them that it was not safe to go out any more than needed. The very nature of the station's design meant that, as far as a vampire was concerned, it was always night, with no sunlight to keep them in check.

As stealthily as a cat, Susan made her way along the corridors and passageways, eyes always scanning for any sign of danger.

"You make about as much noise as a Rolling Stones concert," Spike smiled as he stepped out of the shadows, "and they're no where near here."

"You say that like it's a good thing. I want to get this over with so my life can return to what is laughing called normal." Susan relaxed slightly. "Have you found out where they're nesting?"

"I think we're dealing with a vampire who's passing through rather than one that's intending to stay. They like quiet places, and Babylon 5 is anything but quiet. Do you know how much trouble I had getting here now that you guys have declared yourself independent? Security is a nightmare for someone who needs to keep hidden…"

"Are you going to shut up and tell me where the vampire is or shall I just stake you and be done with it?"

"No, I'm going to shut up and throttle the guy who's been following you the last quarter of an hour." Spike leapt off of the crate he's been sitting on and into the shadows. There was a cry of surprise as he hit something, before rolling out into the light again, pinning a man to the deck.

"Marcus?" Susan blinked. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Finding out just how dark the darkness can be." The Ranger looked up at Spike, slightly worried about the vampire's 'game face'. "Kosh said something that got me worried about you."

"You understood something Kosh said?" Susan asked. "It's OK, Spike. You can let him go."

"Your call," the Watcher stood, changing back to his human face, "but I'm going to have to report this breach of security…"

"Just shut up will you?" Susan snapped, before turning to face Marcus. "This is none of your concern. Go home and forget about it."

"Rangers never let a comrade walk into danger alone. And if what I heard the two of you talking about is true, you'll need all the help you can get."

"Go home or I'll knock you out."

"Do that and the first thing I'll do when I wake up is tell the Captain what I've heard."

"You wouldn't."

"Rangers never bluff."

"He's right, they don't." Spike lit a cigarette. "I've played cards with a few in my time, human and Minbari. They never bluff or lie. They let you mislead yourself, but they never lie." He pulled a denn'bok, otherwise known as a Minbari fighting pike from his pocket and extended it to its full length.

"You won that in a game of cards?" Marcus asked in disbelief.

"No, I picked it up during the Earth/Minbari war." Spike collapsed the weapon. "I spend my time off the grid, but even I got involved in that. A Watcher must do his best to protect his assigned Slayer, no matter what."

"Just what is going on here?" Marcus asked, still unable to believe what he had been told. "Are you trying to tell me that vampires and demons exist?"

"Give the man a prize!" Spike rolled his eyes. "You deal with this, luv. I'll go try and find our rogue." He disappeared off into the shadows.

"So," Marcus smiled at Susan. "Where do you want to start?"

**To Be Continued…**


	2. Understanding is a three edged sword

Just want to clear up the whole 'Susan is a descendant of Willow' thing: being gay doesn't mean you don't want kids. I know several gay people with kids. As for Rosenberg/Ivanova: people more around, get married, and names change.

_All fiction requires some faith on the reader's part._

_Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, glad you liked the first chapter and hope you keep reviewing. This is going to be a shorter story than some of my recent work, no more than 5 chapters. Updates happen when they happen._

**It's a Russian thing…  
Part 2: Understanding is a three-edged sword**

"So?" Marcus stood patiently, waiting for his promised explanation.

Susan contemplated knocking the Ranger out and hoping that he wouldn't go to the captain with what he knew, but she knew Spike was right. Rangers never bluff.

"Ok, you want to know the truth?" Susan took a deep breath. "Vampires, demons, werewolves and the supernatural all exist, have done since before recorded history began. Most people chose to ignore them or convince themselves that they are something else."

"Oh really? And how long have you known this?"

"My entire life. My family has been involved with an organisation called the Watchers Council since the early 21st Century. The Council monitors demon activity in Earth Space, in accordance with the LA convention of 2012. They used to confront them directly, but the convention dictates what rights humans and demons have so that we can co-exist together. Only when a demon breaches the rules does the Council send in a Slayer. On Babylon 5, I'm the Slayer."

"And what is a Slayer?"

"The rule used to be this: _In each generation, there is a chosen one. One girl in the entire would with the strength and skill to stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer_. That all changed when one of my ancestors, an extremely powerful Wicca… that's a witch to you… activated all the potential Slayers. That's when the tide was turned against the demons. They were no longer facing a single Slayer, but a whole army of them."

"So you're a Slayer?" Marcus raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Ok, prove it."

"You want me to prove to you that I'm the Slayer?" Susan placed her hands on her hips. "Marcus, I wiped the floor with you in the corridor outside my quarters. And you saw the way Spike's face changed…"

"That could have been a changeling net or some other advanced technology. Any sufficiently advanced technology would be indistinguishable from magic. I mean, look at what the Technomages can do!"

"Oh please; I've seen things that would make a Technomage turn green with envy."

"Prove it." Marcus smiled.

"You really want me to prove to you that magic is real?" Susan blinked. "Ok then follow me."

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Marcus couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive as Susan led the way deep and deeper into Down Below. Although he knew that there was very little he couldn't handle himself, there was something about the way Susan was acting that sent a chill down his spine.

"Your friend Spike said he was involved in the Earth/Minbari war." He said, trying to break the tension. "Just what did he do?"

"He was the Watcher assigned to a young Slayer living on one of the outer colonies," Susan explained. "She was killed when the Minbari attacked at the very start of the war. Spike's always been very overprotective of those in his care and took it badly. Even though he's a vampire, he has a human soul. The Minbari didn't notice him because vampires don't show up on any sensors as a living being, so they passed him by. He managed to find a ship that was still operational and made it back to the nearest Watcher field-office."

"So what did he do? Sign up with Earth Force?"

"No, they would have found out he was a vampire the moment they gave him his medical. He has a special crystal implanted in his body somewhere that allows him to walk in sunlight and it makes him almost impossible to kill, but he still lacks a heartbeat. He managed to gather together some other vampires who wanted to fight and salvaged a ship that had been holed during a battle. The Minbari mistook it for a dead hulk when they didn't pick up any life-signs, and they were able to strike them from point-blank range. They kept doing this for months, until the Minbari figured out just what they were up against…"

"They called us the Grave Walkers." Spike dropped down from a walkway. "The Minbari really don't like vampires. They see us as a threat to the reincarnation of their souls when they die. They assigned a special Ranger unit to track us down and take us out. They caught us near Beta Orionis and crippled our engines before boarding us. They forgot one important thing. Vampires don't need air."

"What did you do?" Marcus asked, his mouth suddenly dry.

"We waited until they came alongside and linked their ship to our own, then blew the airlocks, expelling our atmosphere and theirs." Spike pulled another cigarette from his pocket and lit it. "You ever see what the vacuum of space does to a living being? It isn't pretty when it's real up close like that." He stopped outside a non-descript door. "We're here."

"Right, just follow my lead." Susan banged on the door. "It's me. Open up."

A slit in the door opened and a rough looking demon looked through. "Password."

"Come on, you know who I am…" Susan protested.

"Password." The demon insisted, its voice sounding like the gravel pits of hell.

"I'll kill you if you tell anyone about this." Susan glared at Marcus before turning back to the door. "_I'm a little teapot, short and stout. Here is my handle; here is my spout. When I get all steamed up, hear me shout: tip me over and pour me out._"

The demon sniggered as it unlocked and opened the door. "You're a real charmer, Slayer."

"Yeah Frank, so are you." Susan patted him on the shoulder. "What's with the increased security?"

"Earth Force Intelligence is looking for her." Frank explained as he closed and re-locked the door. "That's why we came out here in the first place. Earth is just too hot since Clarke came to power. The PsiCops are one thing, but Nightwatch is a real pain in the ass."

"Preaching to the choir." Spike laughed. "I take it she's in?"

"I'm in back." A voice called out from through an open doorway. Susan led the way. Frank stayed back to keep watch at the door.

The other room was decorated like most living quarters on the station, complete with a small kitchen area off to one side

"It's nice to see you've tided up since I was last here." Susan looked around the room before sitting down in a comfortable looking armchair, "How's things?"

"Same old." A young woman in her twenties stepped through from the bedroom. She stopped dead when she saw Marcus. "Who's he?"

"This is Marcus Cole, our resident Ranger and pain in the neck." Susan shrugged. "He overheard Spike and I talking about the Rogue, so I had to tell him everything. He refused to believe me, so I brought him here rather than risk him going to the Captain."

"So you want to see some magic do you, Mr Cole?" The young woman smiled. "Well, they do say that seeing is believing…"

The room grew dark as the air started to rush thought it like there was a hurricane just outside the door. Pieces of paper and other miscellaneous light objects were lifted up and blown around the room. Marcus tried to shield his face as a portal started to open, and he found himself looking into Hyperspace.

Then, as quickly and suddenly as it had opened, the portal closed.

"And before you ask, that was no hologram." Spike smiled. "Meet Dawn Summers, head of the Watchers Council."

"Are you some kind of witch? The startled Ranger asked.

"No, I'm not even human in the normal sense of the word." Dawn smiled as she sat down. "I'm a construct, a human being created to contain and hide an energy souse known as 'The Key'. As a construct, I'm practically immortal, although I can be killed, hence the need for Frank out there by the door. I came here because the PsiCore has been trying to track me down for decades, and since Clark came to power, they've been getting anything they want."

"And they want little bit here." Spike looked deadly serous. "Her ability to open portals to any dimension, not just hyperspace, makes her a potentially valuable commodity. We've had a few close calls over the years, but we're still here."

"We won't be if I don't go deal with this rogue vampire. Garibaldi is on the verge of turning this place upside down to find what he thinks is a human killer." Susan stood. "Marcus, stay here until we're done."

"Like hell I will!" The Ranger protested. "It is against the Ranger code to let a friend and comrade walk into danger alone…"

"I'll be with her." Spike switched back to his game-face. "I've got a few centuries of experience with this sort of thing."

"I am still going," Marcus stood defiantly, "or I could go to the Captain and tell him everything you've told me."

There was the sound of something very large moving, and Frank appeared in the doorway.

"You do anything to endanger Miss Summers, and it'll be the last thing you ever do!" The demon growled, brandishing a huge battleaxe that looked like it could cut the station in half.

"Easy big-guy." Susan stepped between the two of them. "Ok, Marcus, you can come with us. But you do everything we tell you, without question."

"Deal." The Ranger nodded happily.

"Hop on one leg." Spike smiled as he fished a fresh cigarette from his pocket.

Marcus glared at him, and then started to hop on one leg as instructed.

"Knock it off before one of you dies from testosterone poisoning." Susan headed for the door. "Sorry this had to be a flying visit, Dawn, but duty calls."

"No problem." The head of the Watchers Council waved goodbye. "Give me a call in a few days and we'll do lunch."

**To Be Continued…**


	3. Shadows and light

_Warning: spoilers for end of Angel season 5_

**It's a Russian thing…  
Part 3: Shadows and light**

"Will you two knock it off?" Susan snapped, fed up with the way Spike and Marcus were acting, "It's like dealing with a pair of five year olds!"

"He started it." Marcus protested.

"Did not!" Spike shot back.

"Did to!"

"Did not!"

"Did to!"

"Did not!"

"_Did to!_"

"_Did not!_"

"**KNOCK IT OFF THE PAIR OF YOU!**" Susan yelled, startling the Ranger and Watcher, "Stop it right now, or I swear to god I will knock the pair of you out and use you as bait!"

"This is why I hate having amateurs involved; they lack the discipline needed." Spike muttered, "Anyway, we're getting closer; I can smell it."

"I just hope it's feeding, not siring." Susan looked round, then stopped, her eyes narrowing, "I think we have a problem." She pointed at a sign above a door:

_Wolfram and Heart  
Attorneys at law_

"No!" Spike shook his head, "They were destroyed; I was there when t happened!"

"What's going on?" Marcus asked.

"The Wolf, the Ram and the Hart." The colour had drained from Susan's face, "They miscarried as a law firm, but in fact they're a organisation run by 'The Senior Partners', a group of supernatural beings dedicated to bringing about the apocalypse. They where supposable destroyed in 2004."

"I was there: Illyria, an Old One, destroyed their army by unsealing her power, laying wait to two city blocks." Spike shudderd, "Illyria and a man named Charls Gunn were killed: only Angel and I made it out of there in one piece."

"But if they where destroyed, how can they be here?" Marcus shrugged, "Maybe it's just a coincidence."

"This is Babylon 5 we're talking about: there's no such thing as 'just a coincidence'." Susan drew her PPG and took the safety off, "We need to check this out before we go any further."

"I'll lead." Spike stepped in front of the Slayer, "Unlike you, I am bullet-proof."

The rusted door opened at a slight touch, leading into a room that looked out of place in Down Below: the bulkheads had been covered in wood panelling, while a staircase lead up to the next level.

"So old Wolfram and Heart style." Spike hissed. His eyes went wide when he saw who was behind the reception desk, "Harmony?"

"Spike!" The ditzy, blond vampire looked up, then cam running out from behind her desk. Susan was already bring her PPG up when Harmony wrapped her arms round Spike and gave him a hug, "I haven't seen you in **SO** long!"

"No, not since L.A." Spike took a step back, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was transferred here from the Mars office about a year ago." Harmony smiled, "You know what those Wolfram and Heart contracts are like: till death and then some."

"Never signed one." Spike shook his head, "This is Commander Susan Ivanova and Anla'shok Marcus Cole. Guys, this is Harmony Kendall, someone I dated back in the day."

"That's just Spikes way of saying he's my sire." Harmony held out her hand, "It's nice to finally meet Babylon 5's famous Slayer."

"I see my reputation precedes me." Susan shook the offered hand; "How come there's a Wolfram and Heart office on **MY** station and I never knew a thing about it?"

"Oh, this is only temporary: one of our biggest clients has a lot of business in this part of the universe, so we set up shop to accommodate them." Harmony explained, "The customer always comes first in this business."

"Just who is this client?" Marcus asked, having a hard time to catch up with everything.

"Oh, he's in a meeting with the boss…" Harmony looked round as a door opened, "Oh, here he is now…"

"Morden!" Susan hissed when she saw who the vampire was pointing at.

"Wes?" Spike blinked when he saw the man the agent of the Shadows was talking with, "Wesley?"

"Spike?" The former Watcher blinked, "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thin: Illyria said you died fighting Vail. She was rather upset."

"The contract I signed when we took over the LA office was for 1,000-years: I still have some time to go."

"If only Illyria knew…"

"Oh, but she does." Wes looked round when he saw Susan lift Morden up by his shirt collar and slam him into a wall, "I'm afraid I can not allow you to do that: while he is inside this office, he is under the protection of Wolfram and Heart."

"How do I know he's not responsible for the rogue vampire on the station?" Susan asked, "That's just the sort of trick he'd pull!"

"There's a rogue vampire on the station?" Wes looked at his assistant, "Harmony!"

"Hey, not me boss!" The secretary held up her hands defensively, "You know I'm on the wagon."

"Then find out who it is and where they are." Wes turned back to Spike, Susan and Marcus as his assistant ran off, "The only business Wolfram and Heart has with Mr Morden and those he represents is a minor land deal on Centauri Prime, nothing more."

"I don't care: I want you off my station." Susan glared at the former Watcher, "And if I **EVER** catch you back here again, Hell will seem tame in comparison to what I'll do to you."

"Our business here is concluded, and we have seats on a ship due out in three hours." Wes bowed his head slightly, "I trust that the local denizens will strip the place and return it to normal in short order." He turned to Spike, "It was good to see you again."

"Yeah, you to." The Watcher nodded, "But what did you mean about Illyria knowing you're still around?"

"Illyria is an Old One, a god: do you realy think she'd die so easily?" Wes smiled, "Sometime's she's the only thing that gives me the strenght to go on." He looked at his watch, "I have to go. Harmony will get you the information you need before we leave the station."

"Yeah, ok, what ever." Susan looked distracted, "But remember what I said: don't come back here ever again."

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"I need to go tell Dawn and Frank that Wolfram and Heart are still around." Spike said as soon as they where clear of the law office, "This is something that'll have to be looked into."

"I agree." Susan nodded, "Also, ask her to have R&D look into using magic against Shadows: if they're involved with the Senior Partners, then they must have some connection to the mystical side of reality."

"Any sufficiently advanced technology would be indistinguishable from magic." Marcus nodded, "I'm beginning to understand how things run."

"Good." Spike nodded, "I'll go see Dawn and Frank, and leave a message for a Technomage I know. Maybe he can find something that'll help."

"The Technomages are all in hiding." Susan pointed out, "It'll be impossible to contact him."

"Trust me, I have my ways." Spike walked off, "Galen is too smart to be completely out of the loop."

"He's a very strange individual." Marcus shook his head.

"He has Post Traumatic Stress: he did a lot of nasty stuff as a vampire before he got his soul back. Add to that everything he's been through since."

"You know a lot about his history?"

"You have to understand that my family has been involved with the Watchers Council for over 250-years: the cornices of the Vampire known as 'William the Bloody' are long and detailed, especially since he gained his soul. I read them all when I was a student."

"You have a very morbid interest in books."

"It's a Russian thing." Susan looked at her watch, "We should head back to my quarters: there's a lot of new information I need to think on.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"As much as it pains me to say it, the peroxide-blond from Wolfram and Heart came through." Susan looked at the Data-crystal that had been delivered by currier to her door less than an hour after they had returned from Down Below, "What remains to be seen is if we can trust the information on it."

"Would they deliberately give you false information?" Marcus asked as he downed a mouthful of coffee.

"Considering that I've already posted an all-area alert that Wolfram and Heart are still operational on the Councils network, no: the last thing they need is a war against one of the oldest organisations in human space."

"How much force does the Watchers Council have?"

"Several thousand trained Slayers, maybe ten times as many support staff and Watchers. After the LA treaty, a lot of the more open-minded demons approached the Council about forming a sort of police force for the hidden parts of human society. Last time I checked, there are two colonies that have been set-up off the net that contain vast demon populations."

"Ships?"

"Mainly transports, but a few older model warships that where 'disabled' during the war and salvaged. They have some technology that would be considered advanced by Earth Force."

"Why don't they come out and hand it over?"

"They're afraid, rightly so: every time the Demon world has come to the attention of the rest of humanity, it has suffered. There was a time, back in the 20th century, when Spike had a computer chip in his head that stopped him from hurting humans. He didn't get rid of it until he died saving the world."

"If he died, as a vampire, how can he still be around today?"

"We call them The Powers that Be, or other things, depending on how many drinks I've had. The Powers that Be are the mirror image of the Senior Partner: they are dedicated to preserving humanity. They've been less vocal since my ancestor activated all the potential Slayers, but they're still around."

"They sound a lot like." Marcus was cut off mid-sentence by the door chime.

"Who could it be at this time?" Susan got up and opened the door. She was more than a little surprised at who was standing on the other side, "Ambassador Kosh? How can I help you?"

"_The avalanche has started: it is too late for the pebble to vote_." The iris that served as the Vorlons eye opened and radiated blue, "_That which is done can not be undone._"

Susan collapsed onto the floor.

"What the hell have you done?" Spike came running down the corridor as Marcus erupted from his seat like a jack-in-the-box, "Susan?"

"_She must embrace her destiny, or all is lost_." Kosh turned and glided off towards the elevator, "_I will explain all when she awakens._"

**To Be Continued…**

_Sorry for the delay: it took me a while to work out how to get this to the ending I wanted._


End file.
